A billboard company just ripped down a Sunset Blvd. sign that had been tagged by Academy Award nominee Banksy — just a few short days after the legendary graffiti artist touched it up in the first place. The Mickey Mouse inspired artwork — which mysteriously appeared a few days ago — was just taken down … but no one at the scene will tell us why. We’re told employees at the gas station directly below the billboard offered to pay $10,000 for the artwork — but the billboard company refused … A physical altercation just broke out over the sign — cops have responded to the scene.

Maybe because they wanted a Bansky original & are hiding it somewhere? But seriously, I did hear that the client who ordered the billboard will get to keep it.
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I can understand why it was taken down. It WAS technically an act of vandalism which many companies have a ZERO-tolerance policy on. Okay, this guy has made a name for himself with his art… but there are others out & about defacing other people’s property that has to be cleaned up at the owner’s expense. A lot of graffiti is disgusting & “gang” stuff – or even suggestive of what a tagger’s mind is like – For example, saw a bit of squiggles on a wall that implied that ‘women have no purpose in life EXCEPT to be “breeders” for their masters’… NOBODY thought that was “art”.
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Where I live there’s a guy who was “caught” years ago for defacing walls of businesses but NEVER charged because his work WAS art – Where once a concrete wall stood was overnight transformed into a life-sized rendering of the ocean & whales breaching the surface, while under the water other creatures did their things as well. He went on to be very successful – Businesses ask for him to tag their walls & pay him BIG BUCKS for his talent.

So, if his (amazing, in my opinion) film wins, will he accept the award in a mask or disguise? Or would he use this huge arena to finally “out” himself? Or, would someone else (perhaps the subject of the movie, Thierry Guetta accept on his behalf?

I think it’s a stretch to think that he’d even show up. If he does, he’d likely come in a back door. (Can you tell I’ve put some thought into this?!) I think there should be live cameras on every entrance so we can all watch and try to find him. ;)

I think that he is at least going to say thanks through via someone else, but I strongly doubt that he will show up himself, unmasked, since his film is in my opinion just something extra. It is great but still, his graffiti are the main part of his art. So if he is to reveal his identity I wouldn’t expect him to do so with the film.